The 2025 SFIA Industry Project and Product Awards introduced a new category of competition: the Innovative Product category. This 2025 Innovative Product award winner is StepStuds™, breakthrough metal stud design from SFIA member Horizontal Base Studs, LLC.
2025 SFIA Awards Innovative Product
StepStuds™
StepStuds, U.S. Patent #11,702,850, has created a new category of metal studs that has never existed before. The product lifts gypsum board off the floor to keep it dry during most water intrusions and floods. StepStuds are simple to install — 36 seconds per 8′ piece — at floor level around the perimeter of a room. The product requires just one screw per vertical stud.
StepStuds™ were invented by a carpenter who, while making a flood repair, realized he could dramatically reduce repair costs.
The 2025 SFIA Awards, Innovative Product winner, StepStuds™ install in just 36 seconds per 8′ piece.
Product Launch
AWCI Build24 Convention & Expo
Product Description
This game-changing innovation in metal design unlike anything the steel framing industry has ever seen. StepStuds was created by a life-long journeyman carpenter. While lying on the floor making a flood repair, he wondered why the same repair process was being performed over and over again — in flood repair after flood repair — without solving the problem. He came upon the solution.
StepStuds raises gypsum panels off the floor, keeping them dry during most water intrusions and floods. The metal panels are quick and simple to install — requiring just 36 seconds to install one 8-foot piece — at floor level around the perimeter of a room or area. The product requires just one screw for each vertical cold-formed steel (CFS) framing stud. By design, there is virtually no waste. StepStuds incorporate an air-vent system, as well as a drain hole system on both short edges. This makes installation error-free. The drywall sits on top of the non-load bearing StepStuds, lifting the panels up and keeping them dry.
StepStuds is a fascinating innovation in construction. They’re designed to drastically reduce flood repair costs and speed up room and area recovery. By raising drywall off the floor, the product prevents mold and mildew growth. It eliminates the need for costly drywall removal. This system allows for a 75% reduction in repair costs and a 50% faster room turnaround compared to traditional drywall setups.
StepStuds™ can dramatically reduce flood repair costs.
StepStuds™
Horizontal Base Studs, LLC
2025 Award: Innovative Product
Details: StepStuds, U.S. Patent #11,702,850, has created a new category of metal studs that has never existed before. The product lifts gypsum board off the floor to keep it dry during most water intrusions and floods.
The SFIA Industry Project & Product Awards
SFIA Awards Judging Criteria
A panel of industry representatives judged all 2025 SFIA Industry Project and Product Awards entries based on the following criteria:
- Design Quality, such as the efficient and sustainable use of cold-formed steel (CFS) products
- Installation Complexity, including conflict resolution, timeframe challenges, etc.
- Manufacturing Complexity, including custom orders, panelization, special material sourcing and more
- Overall Job Quality, including the quality of alignments, finishes and other attention to detail
- Conversion from Alternative Framing Material, reflecting how steel framing lowered a structure’s weight, or added stories, or helped lower the project’s builders’ risk insurance, etc.
The 2025 SFIA Awards focus on CFS manufacturing, construction and product innovation. The awards program is a complement to the Design Excellence and Creative Detail awards presented by the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI), SFIA’s sister organization.
About SFIA
The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), a unique organization representing steel mills, coil coaters, stud and connector manufacturers, component fabricators, Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI) members, suppliers/distributors, contractors and others, provides members with exclusive access to technical cold-formed steel (CFS) framing services, including CFS certification, environmental product declarations, market data and analysis, technical design guides, specification review services, architectural services, the Steel Framing Learning Portal , the SFIA Awards and more. SFIA is an accredited ANSI Standards Development Organization. Follow SFIA on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Additional Resources
- The Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) Names 13 Recipients of the 2025 Industry Awards
- SFIA Unveils 9 Winners of the 2024 Industry Project Awards
- SFIA Reveals 7 Winners of the 2023 Industry Project Awards in Online Ceremony